innocent lotus flower

OUR LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP

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**Trigger Warning: Implied suicide referenced.**

Wen Fei was a man who had built his life on stolen brilliance. At 35, he was hailed as a medical genius, a celebrated psychologist whose reports and theses won awards and promotions. What no one knew was that none of those works were truly his own. He had a keen eye for others’ hidden potential and took credit for their discoveries before they could realize their value. This secret theft was the foundation of his growing wealth and status.

Now, elevated to a position of authority, Wen Fei’s access expanded. What once were small ideas stolen from humble peers had become whole projects delivered willingly by those under his supervision. Few dared to challenge him; who would believe an unknown researcher over such a renowned figure?

Despite the lies, Wen Fei was competent and cunning enough to keep his fraud under wraps. He avoided making powerful enemies and targeted only those from backgrounds as modest or worse than his own. Everything seemed to be going according to plan—until he met Ning Xi.

Ning Xi was striking, even with a long scar marking one side of her face. When she arrived at his door desperate and alone, Wen Fei, ever the gentleman, offered help. She told him her scar was inflicted by one of his patients, Wei Ying, and tearfully claimed no one else would listen. To Wen Fei, having a beautiful woman like Ning Xi beside him could only enhance his reputation. Whether Wei Ying was innocent or not didn’t matter.

But now, Wen Fei’s carefully constructed world was unraveling.

News flashed across every screen, exposing every stolen idea, every lie. Those he had wronged testified against him. His past accusations paled in comparison to this swift and complete destruction—done by one man alone: Lan Wangji.

The moment Wen Fei realized he had crossed Lan Wangji, he packed hastily, planning to flee to some remote country, disappearing for a few years until the storm passed. But as he watched the headlines confirming his downfall, he knew it was over. Lan Wangji’s influence was unlike anything he had encountered. Where before accusations were scattered and weak, now every stone was turned, every betrayal laid bare.

At the airport, whispers followed him like shadows. He could feel eyes burning holes in him. Suddenly, an uncontrollable laughter bubbled up—first a giggle, then full-throated, shaking his body until he fell to his knees. Police approached, but he did not stop. Only when tears streamed down his face did he realize he could still cry.

He remembered Ning Xi’s words just before he fled: “Do you know why I’m not running with you? Because there’s no escape. I have nothing left to lose. But you... you and Jiang Cheng still have everything.” At the time, he had scoffed. Now, he understood—she was right. He had lost everything.

Meanwhile, Ning Xi sat alone, watching the news that crushed Wen Fei’s empire. She admired Lan Wangji’s swift justice, knowing no one marked by him was spared. Her bitterness twisted her lips into a smirk. Though trapped herself, she took satisfaction in having hurt Wei Ying.

She had hated not only Wei Ying but Lan Wangji too—those born into privilege, owning everything effortlessly, while she clawed for scraps. She remembered how, back then, Lan Wangji had believed she saved him. The life she glimpsed then had awakened a confusing love-hate turmoil. Sometimes she hated him enough to kill, other times, a strange fondness lingered.

Instead of fleeing when she realized Lan Wangji’s love for Wei Ying, she wove lies to poison his heart, aiming to destroy both men. Watching him suffer, a hollow shell unaware of the cause, brought a cruel satisfaction. When he confronted her about the necklace—something she could have faked to deceive—she hesitated. Part of her wanted to see if the truth would break him. But he did not break.

Now, as men in black suits entered her apartment, she downed the last sip of poisoned wine. She wondered if Lan Wangji would mourn her, if he’d ever reclaim the faint feelings he once had for her in high school. But deep down, she knew he never truly cared—her affections were just a pawn to make Wei Ying jealous, a childish game of tugging at someone’s heartstrings.

Her body would be buried, but her mind knew the truth: it was all an illusion. She was alone, cold, craving the kind of love and tenderness her family never gave. Though vicious and broken, she longed for someone to hold her, flaws and all.

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